Next of Kin
by TwilightPony21
Summary: Her father's secret threatens her life...and her heart. Kensi/Callen.
1. Prologue

**Hello there! I honestly didn't expect to be writing again quite so soon, but here I am. There have been a lot of ideas floating around in my head, and I've just been having some trouble making them come out on paper. I think this is finally starting to resemble a story, though, so please bear with me as I try to hammer it out. I hope you like it, and please review if you have a minute. Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

**-Prologue-**

4:18 AM. Kensi Blye lay in bed, staring at the bright red numbers on her alarm clock. She had been watching the minutes tick by for some time now, and she was still wide awake. She sighed and rolled over restlessly, crumpling the edge of her lavender comforter in her fists. She didn't know why she couldn't sleep. It had been a tough week with triple homicides, multiple crime scene investigations, and round-the-clock undercover surveillance. There had also been certain other physical activities that had kept her awake late into the night. She was tired, and she should have been sound asleep, but for some reason, she couldn't shake a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

As she rolled over again, Kensi finally gave up. She pushed back her comforter and let it fall softly onto the other side of the bed. She didn't want to keep tossing and turning, so she reached for her robe and quietly padded over to the window.

It had been a clear night in Los Angeles, and the first colors of the sunrise were just starting to swirl along the skyline. The shift from night to day cast shadowy silhouettes against the buildings, and Kensi could hear the dull roar of traffic on the road already.

She remained by the window for some time, just thinking and watching the city wake up outside her window. It would be time to head to work soon. Suddenly, she felt a chilly breeze against her skin, and she shivered and pulled her robe tighter around herself. It was an odd feeling on what promised to be a sunny, mild morning, and she knew that it stemmed from the strange anxiety inside of her.

Completely lost in her thoughts, Kensi jumped as the sharp ring of a cell phone cut through the early morning silence.

"Callen," she heard him answer groggily. There was a pause, and then, "All right, I'm coming."

Callen clicked the phone off and buried his head under the pillow.

Kensi smiled. She knew it was Sam, telling him not to be late picking him up for work. "You better get moving," she said with a grin.

She heard the muffled groan from underneath the pillow, and then with greatly exaggerated effort, Callen flung back the comforter and stood up. "Sam needs to be more patient."

Kensi moved away from the windowsill, walking over to the other side of the bed and stopping in front of him. "Maybe his partner needs to be more on time," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Callen rubbed a hand over his sleepy eyes and blinked. "You're real funny," he muttered.

"Yeah?" Kensi challenged, taking a step closer.

"Yeah," he whispered, capturing her lips with his.

The sensation of Callen's kiss would never cease to amaze Kensi. Somehow his lips could wash away all of her fears and uneasy feelings. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss and held him close. For some reason, she didn't want to let him go this morning. But when they finally broke apart, she motioned toward the clock on the nightstand. "You're going to be late," she pointed out.

Callen rolled his eyes, and Kensi couldn't help but laugh at the expression on his face as he pulled on his clothes and headed out the door.

With her mind still reeling from his kiss, Kensi vaguely registered the sound of her phone ringing this time. Certain that it was Sam calling to ask for a ride when Callen got stuck in traffic, she answered it. "Kensi," she said.

"_Hola, querida_."

It was definitely not Sam.


	2. Part I

**Thanks for all the support, everybody. I definitely hope I can do this story justice. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

**-I-**

"No!" The scream ripped from Kensi's throat before she could stop it, and she bolted upright in bed, bathed in sweat. Her heart was racing, and she could feel the blood pounding in her ears.

The sleepy figure next to her shifted slightly. "Are you okay, baby?" he whispered groggily.

Kensi didn't answer for a moment, as she tried to let her breathing return to normal. She felt his strong arms wrap around her from behind, and she leaned back against his chest. "Yes," she finally answered.

He kissed her neck softly and ran his hands up and down her arms. "You're shaking," he said worriedly.

"I—I had a nightmare," Kensi explained. "But I'm fine now."

"Kensi, these nightmares have been going on for a while…"

"I know," she said. "I'm fine. Really."

He studied her for a moment, but didn't say anything more. He kissed her temple and then gently eased her back against the pillows. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled the blankets over them.

Kensi buried her face in his chest, hiding the fear in her eyes from him. The nightmare had been so real, so vivid. Taking a deep breath, she ran her fingers over the unblemished, bronzed skin of his chest, the smooth, perfect muscles rippling underneath her touch. It didn't seem to calm her nerves, though, as she knew it wasn't him. No, the man in her nightmare was clearly scarred with five ugly gunshot wounds. And he lay on the ground, broken and bleeding, his eyes sunken in pain…and his cry of death echoing against the walls.

* * *

Kensi slept restlessly for the remainder of the night, and when she awoke, she was surprised to find the bed empty beside her. The light of dawn was just barely starting to creep in the window, so she didn't know where he could have gone so early.

"Javier?" she called.

"Right here, sweetheart," his voice came from the other room. He entered the bedroom, carrying a tray of Belgian waffles with fresh strawberries and cream, with one red rose as a centerpiece.

"I know you hate flowers," he said, "but this is a special occasion."

Kensi raised an eyebrow. "What's the occasion?" she asked bluntly.

He set the tray down on the nightstand and settled on the bed next to her. "The occasion is … I'm in love with you."

Javier took her hand and squeezed it gently. He drew her close for a tender kiss, and then he whispered, "And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He pulled a small black jewelry box out of his pocket. Kensi gasped.

Javier opened the box and held it out to her. The diamond shimmered in the morning sunlight. And in a quiet whisper, he asked, "Kensi, ever since you came back into my life, all of my feelings for you have returned. I love you, and I always have…will you marry me?"

Kensi's mouth fell open in shock. She glanced back and forth from the jewelry box to Javier's eyes, unsure of what to say. She saw such hope in his eyes, such love for her, and it made her heart pound uncontrollably.

"Yes," she answered softly.

Javier smiled. He slipped the diamond onto her left ring finger and kissed her hand. "I love you," he repeated softly, moving his lips to cover hers. "I never stopped loving you. And I want you by my side forever, as my beautiful wife."

Gently, he pushed her back against the pillows, tugging at her camisole and fully intending to start the honeymoon early. But his romantic intentions were rudely interrupted as Kensi's cell phone rang.

"Don't answer it," Javier whispered, his lips moving down her neck.

Kensi laughed softly and wiggled out of his grasp. She picked up her phone. "Kensi."

"He's after me!" came the strangled cry over the phone. "Please, Agent Blye, a_yúdame!"_

Kensi quickly pushed Javier away and sat up. "Miguel? Where are you?"

The voice on the other end was huffing and puffing. "I…I can't talk...he's coming for me!"

"Miguel!" Kensi heard multiple bursts of rapid gunfire and then the roar of a car and then…

Silence.

* * *

It was a quiet, peaceful morning at the NCIS Office of Special Projects in Los Angeles, California. Nate sat in the empty chair next to Callen's desk, reveling in the silence and absently stirring his cup of coffee when he suddenly heard some loud squabbling coming from down the hall. _Sam and Callen are at it again_, he thought.

"Do you even look at the clock?" Sam asked in a clearly annoyed tone.

"No," Callen admitted.

"Could you try doing that some time?"

The two men entered the bullpen, and Nate rolled his eyes. Sam and Callen always gave each other a hard time, but lately it seemed like they had been at each other's throats more than usual. "What are you two arguing about now?" Nate asked.

"Nothing," Callen replied.

"Something's wrong with G," Sam said.

"Me? You're the one carrying on about the clock."

"He tells me he's gonna pick me up at nine," Sam explained. "Then he shows up at eight thirty."

"First you complain that I'm always late," Callen argued, "Now you complain that I'm too early." He shot his partner a nasty glare.

"Plus he's grumpier than usual," Sam told Nate.

"Well, then, this isn't gonna cheer you up," Eric called from above.

The three of them looked up. Eric pointed towards the ops room.

Nate sighed and headed for the stairs, while Sam and Callen lagged behind. Sam was still giving his partner a suspicious eye.

"I'm fine," Callen insisted.

Sam gave him a skeptical look, and Callen returned it with an annoyed one.

"I just…haven't been sleeping all that well."

"You never sleep all that well," Sam pointed out.

"Sam, I'm fine. The case, please."

The expression on Sam's face was still doubtful, but he didn't push any further, and he obediently headed up the stairs to the ops room.

Callen moved to follow but turned to take a quick look down at the bullpen. For a fleeting moment, he thought he saw her silhouette next to his desk, but her ghost immediately faded before his eyes. He could not deny that the nightmares were getting worse. Every night, she died in his arms, her blood seeping through his clothes and staining his hands. The flames from the fire engulfed her, and he could never get there in time. He could never save her…

Callen shook his head as if to clear his mind, and then he quickly turned and continued up the stairs.

* * *

"Miguel de Santiago," Eric announced. "Former U.S. Marine sergeant shot late last night in an alley downtown." Eric clicked a few buttons, and the video popped up on the screen. "Security cameras caught him walking outside on the street talking on his cell phone..."

"He's looking around," Nate observed. "Not walking in a straight line, keeps checking over his shoulder. He knows he's being followed."

The man on screen slipped into a dark alley between two tall buildings, mumbling something incoherent on his phone and glancing around worriedly. Out of nowhere, a black car with dark tinted windows sped into the alley after him, and even the NCIS team flinched as the gunshots violently riddled his body. He crumpled to the ground, and the car disappeared out of sight.

"No plates," Sam muttered. "Eric, can you find it on any other traffic cams?"

Eric sighed. "I tried. Nothing. It's like a ghost car."

"Trace the guy's cell phone?" Sam asked. "Who was he talking to?"

"Tried that, too. The signal is blocked." Eric fiddled with some buttons on his keyboard. "I can't get through. It's blocked by...NCIS?"

Sam gave him a look. "You're blocking his cell phone?"

"It's not me," Eric said innocently. He clicked some more buttons. "There's got to be something…why would we block this guy's cell phone?"

"And his military records," Nate added from the other side of the room. He had just tried to pull up Miguel's profile, and he had run into the same problem. "Access denied," he muttered in disbelief. "All I can see is that he was recently released from prison and went back to Spain." Nate looked up, slightly puzzled. "So what is he doing in Los Angeles?"

Callen had been oddly quiet, and he was studying the screen with his eyes narrowed. "Running," he finally said.

"From what?" Sam asked.

Callen nodded. "Let's go find out." He turned to Nate and Eric. "You two, dig deeper…find out who this guy is. Eric, get me those cell phone records." Callen turned sharply towards the door and almost tripped over a little lady who had come up behind him.

Hetty held up her hands in a defensive stopping motion. "Be careful, Mr. Callen," she warned.

She gave him a funny look, and Callen raised an eyebrow. He seemed to know that she meant more than just watching where he was going. But he must have investigated thousands of crime scenes that Nate had analyzed at a much higher risk level...why was Hetty choosing this one to caution him? He didn't think much of it, though, and he headed for the door. "I'm always careful," he called over his shoulder.

Nate waited until Callen and Sam had left, and then he turned to Hetty. "You're worried about him," he said. It was a statement rather than a question.

Hetty nodded.

"More than usual."

Hetty nodded again solemnly. "This one gives me a very bad feeling..."

* * *

On their way to the crime scene, Callen and Sam assumed their usual positions in Sam's sleek black Challenger. However, as Callen stared out the passenger side's window, he remained unusually quiet, and finally Sam couldn't take it anymore.

"All right, what's really going on with you?"

"Nothing."

"G, I'm your partner. I know when something is up with you."

"Then you also know that I'm not gonna talk about it."

Sam rolled his eyes and pulled up to the side of the curb. "G..."

But Callen was already out of the car. "We're here," he announced. "This conversation is over."

Sam and Callen quickly made their way towards the commotion. They could see the lights from LAPD squad cars still flashing, and yellow crime scene tape outlined the entire alley. The entrance was guarded by a young woman in a dark blue LAPD uniform. She looked at the new arrivals warily as Callen and Sam approached her.

"NCIS," Callen said, flashing his badge.

"I'm sorry, sir, I can't let you through," she said meekly.

"We're NCIS," Callen argued.

"NCIS is already here," she explained.

Callen gave Sam a puzzled look. Then he shrugged and started to push his way past the young woman. "NCIS is already here?" he repeated. "Whose team?" he muttered as an afterthought, not expecting any response.

"Mine."

That voice stopped Callen in his tracks. He whirled around and found himself staring into two captivating, multicolored eyes that he never thought he would see again.


	3. Part II

**Thanks for sticking with me so far, everybody. I hope that all the confusion will be cleared up in the end. This story is really tough. It's taking me a long time to get the words to come out right, and I still have a lot of issues to iron out. I hope you like this next installment. Please let me know what you think, and thanks so much for reading!**

* * *

**-II-**

If Kensi had been honest with herself, she would have admitted that her heart jumped at the chance to return to Los Angeles. Fortunately, she was more accustomed to deceiving herself and therefore claimed that it was simply part of the job. Her prime connection to a mysterious drug deal had just been murdered in the city. It had nothing to do with the handsome NCIS agent who stood on the street in front of her.

After all, she was an engaged woman now.

Sam could almost feel time come to a standstill as Callen and Kensi stared each other down. Not many things in his job scared him anymore, but the fact that his partner had just come face-to-face with his former junior agent struck a decent amount of fear into Sam's heart. He glanced at Callen worriedly. He didn't know the whole story, but he knew that Kensi had left abruptly one morning, and Callen hadn't mentioned her name ever since.

Eric and Nate didn't know anything more than Sam did, and when Sam had questioned Hetty about it, he had received a glare deadly enough to knock out an entire legion of Navy SEALs. In one final attempt, Sam had even gone so far as to ask if she wanted him to make a recommendation for a new recruit. The answer was a resounding no. So how Kensi came to stand in front of him, leading her own NCIS team, Sam had absolutely no idea.

"NCIS Spain," Sam said, noting the slightly different insignia on Kensi's badge. "That where you been all this time? You got some interest in this case?"

"Sam, I think LAPD wants to talk to you," Callen said, his eyes never leaving Kensi's.

Sam looked over to where LAPD was doing just about everything except paying attention to them. He raised an eyebrow, but then nodded in understanding. As he turned away, he sneaked a quick glance behind him and saw Callen quietly taking Kensi aside.

After Sam was out of earshot, Callen turned on her. "What are you doing here?"

"Investigating a dead Marine."

Callen rolled his eyes. "So you're the one blocking his cell phone." He saw Kensi's eyes look away uncomfortably, and he cocked his head in realization. "He called _you._ Why?"

"I don't know," Kensi said defensively. "And I don't know why he was here. We thought he might be connected to some recent drug smuggling activity in Spain."

"Well, now he's connected to a murder in California," Callen informed her dryly. "And this is our case now."

"He's my suspect!" Kensi shot back.

"In my city! It's our jurisdiction, or do the words 'NCIS Spain' on your badge cover Los Angeles, too? How'd you get here so fast anyway?"

Kensi recoiled sharply and took a deep breath. She almost felt as if he had physically slapped her. His words were bitter and spiteful, and she was trying hard not to crumble, but the tone of his voice wrenched her heart in a way she could not explain.

"Agent Callen," she said softly.

"What?"

"I'm not going to argue with you."

"Well, you're not doing a very good job of that so far." His blue eyes flashed with anger, and Kensi could not look away. They held her gaze as they seemed to drill straight into her soul.

"Kensi, the M.E. wants to talk to you," a voice cut through the tension.

Kensi reluctantly tore her eyes from Callen. "I'll be right there."

Javier had observed the exchange between his fiancée and the other man with interest. The medical examiner actually _did _want to talk to Kensi, but Javier assumed that it would be a welcome interruption. He didn't need an operational psychologist to read Kensi's body language. She could not have looked less thrilled about the prospect of sharing her investigation with this other agent.

Javier extended his hand towards Callen. "Hi!" he said pleasantly. "I'm Special Agent Javier Fernandez...I work with Agent Blye."

Callen's jaw set in a hard line. He glanced at Kensi but didn't say anything. And then he turned away in disgust.

"Who was that?" Javier asked.

Kensi watched Callen's retreating form. "It's no one," she answered. With a heavy sigh, she turned back to the crime scene, missing the sidelong glance that Callen cast her way.

* * *

"Preliminary toxicology report found no presence of drugs in the body," Nate said, walking down the hallway of headquarters with Callen and Sam. "So even if he was dealing the drugs, he wasn't doing them. It was a well-aimed bullet straight through the heart."

"Someone wanted this guy dead in a hurry," Callen concluded.

"You find out anything from you-know-who?" Sam asked.

"Who?" Nate asked.

"You know," Sam said.

"No," Callen said. "She doesn't know anything."

"Who doesn't know anything?" Nate looked extremely confused by this point.

"Guys!" Eric called. "I finally got clearance for the cell phone records. You'll never guess who Miguel called before he died."

"Who?" Nate exclaimed in frustration.

"Huh?" Now Eric looked confused.

"Kensi," Callen stated defiantly, making them all stop and stare at him in shock.

Eric looked rather deflated at having his news blurted out by someone else. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"She was at the crime scene," Sam explained. "Working for NCIS Spain. And she's after the same guy."

"Yeah, the receiving phone signal came from Rota…uh, why is NCIS Spain after this guy?"

"Mr. Callen!" Hetty's voice rang out over the bullpen. He turned, and she motioned for him to come closer. "A moment."

Callen sighed. "That's what we're gonna find out," he told Eric.

As the rest of the team headed back upstairs, Callen obediently walked over to Hetty. She met him with a level glare. "The director wants full cooperation with NCIS Spain on this one," she said. "A combined effort from both teams. That means you share, whether you like it or not."

"Hetty," Callen began, "I'm the one who shares my toys, remember?"

"Hmmm," Hetty hummed suspiciously. "It doesn't sound like you were very cooperative at the crime scene with their agent in charge."

Callen scoffed defensively. "She wasn't exactly cooperative either."

"Mr. Callen..."

"Hetty, you don't have to worry," he assured her.

He headed back towards the stairs to follow his team, and Hetty didn't speak until he reached the first step. "Good, because she's in the boathouse."

Callen whirled around.

"With that young man, Special Agent Fernandez. They would like to speak with you."

* * *

When Callen and Sam arrived at the boathouse, Javier immediately stood to greet them.

"Hi! Special Agents Blye and Fernandez," Javier said, extending his hand to both of them. "NCIS Spain. I don't think we were properly introduced at the crime scene."

"Callen and Hanna," Callen said, eyeing him carefully.

"Well, Agent Callen, I hear that we're collaborating on this one—"

"First, why don't you try explaining the connection between this guy and NCIS Spain?" Callen interrupted. "Or better yet, why don't you let Agent Blye tell us?"

Kensi had been hanging back, lounging coolly on the couch, allowing Javier to do the talking. But at Callen's sharp tone of voice, she finally spoke. "We've been tracking him for a while," she said. "We thought he was running another illegal drug ring in Spain."

"So why'd he _call_ NCIS if he was running from you?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Kensi admitted. "He was frantic on the phone. I could barely hear him. He thought someone was after him."

"Who?" Callen asked.

"I don't know," she repeated harshly.

"Hey, guys?" The computer monitor flickered on, and Eric popped up on screen. "Guys, I did some more digging on our dead Marine, and he used to rent a little cottage in the desert on the city outskirts. You think maybe that's why he was coming back to L.A.?"

Sam nodded. "A cottage in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the world? Sounds like a good place to stash illegal drugs."

"Got an address?" Callen asked.

"Of course."

"Let's check it out," Callen said, looking pointedly at Kensi.

Kensi gave him a curt nod. "Let's go."

Sam looked at Callen questioningly.

"I'll take Kensi and check out the house," Callen said. "You take Javier and talk to LAPD and see if you can get anything else off the body. Or anything about the van that shot him down."

Now Sam looked at Callen like he was crazy.

"What? The director wants full cooperation with NCIS Spain. We'll each take one of them…that's cooperating."

"Um, excuse me," Kensi interrupted. "I think you mean _we'll_ each take one of _you_ along on _our_ investigation."

Callen shrugged. "Yours. Ours. Whatever."

Javier eyed Sam suspiciously and then looked Callen up and down. "Kensi, I don't know if this is such a great idea..."

"Javier..." Kensi crossed her arms over her chest.

Javier sighed. "Okay," he relented. "You're the boss."

* * *

As Callen wove his way in and out of traffic on the freeway, Kensi gazed out the window, watching the familiar sights of Los Angeles pass her by – at a rather alarming speed. She smiled. She knew Callen drove too fast, but there was something comforting about being in the car with him again.

As he zipped off the exit ramp, slammed on the brakes, and skidded into the parking lot, she turned to him.

"I missed this," she said softly.

Callen smirked. "Going on doughnut runs without Sam?"

Kensi smiled. "That, too."

A few minutes later, as Callen pulled away from the drive-in window and handed her a paper bag, Kensi eagerly tore into the sweet delights.

"You gonna share?" Callen asked teasingly.

Kensi laughed and handed him a doughnut. For some reason, his smile of thanks sent a warm flush spreading throughout her body, and Kensi swallowed hard. She quickly averted her gaze back to the window, munching thoughtfully on her doughnut and watching as they left the center of Los Angeles behind. The traffic on the road thinned out rapidly, the skyscrapers shrank to small pinpoints in the distance, and the landscape became dry, open, and barren.

When Callen pulled the car up to Miguel's cottage, Kensi sighed happily as she finished off the last bite of her delicious creme doughnut. "Sam's going to be mad," she said.

"If we eat all the evidence, he'll never know," Callen replied.

He licked his fingers and then his lips in satisfaction, and Kensi watched, almost mesmerized.

She pointed to his lips. "You still have...powdered sugar..."

Kensi didn't even finish her sentence...almost instinctively, her lips found his. He tasted like powdered sugar and chocolate and...Callen. It had been so long since she had tasted his kiss, and Kensi could not get enough of him. Her tongue danced with his, and when she finally pulled back, both of them just stared at each other, trying to catch their breath.


	4. Part III

**I'm so sorry it took so long to update! This chapter was insanely hard to write. If you have a moment, please review and let me know what you think about it. Thanks again for reading!**

* * *

**-III-**

Kensi found her voice first. "We better go," she said softly.

They both quickly moved away from each other and out of the car. Kensi smiled at him nervously as he came around the other side. She couldn't deny that she could still feel the electricity lingering on her lips.

As they made their way up to the front door, Kensi studied the little cottage. It was a small, lonely building, badly in need of repair, standing in the middle of an empty stretch of sand and sparse desert brush. In essence, it was an ideal checkpoint for a worldwide drug smuggling operation, as Kensi couldn't imagine that Miguel received a lot of visitors out here.

Callen gave her a sly smile. "You got a lock pick?" he asked.

Kensi laughed softly. "Yeah, but I do it a little differently now." She drew her gun and nodded at him.

Crouching into position, with Callen at her back, Kensi slammed her foot into the door with impressive force, splintering it open. Callen looked at her admiringly. "Nice," he commented.

As they both rushed into the house, guns drawn, Kensi felt a massive surge of adrenaline coursing through her body. She had always relished the danger and the excitement of this job, but she knew her heart was pounding harder than usual today. She briefly wondered, though, if it had less to do with the thrill of the investigation and more to do with her heated attraction to the man who had just complimented her method for breaking and entering.

"Clear," he called from the kitchen.

"Clear," Kensi said. She glanced around the living room. "It's immaculate," she said in surprise. She drew her finger across the thick layer of dust on the coffee table. "Except for the dust. It doesn't even look like anyone's been living here."

Callen opened the refrigerator and found it completely empty and wiped clean. "Not anyone that was planning on sticking around," he concluded. He opened the kitchen cabinets and found their contents to be exactly the same...nothing.

Kensi made her way down the hall and into the next room. It was a quaint little office with a small wooden desk, a couple of chairs, and an antique bookshelf. But there were no books, and when she opened the desk drawers, they were empty, too. Kensi's brow furrowed in confusion. It was so strange that the entire house was furnished but there was no evidence of anyone actually living there.

Just as she turned to leave the room, she caught her foot on a small knot in the rug. Wondering what exactly she had stumbled upon, she pushed the rug aside to reveal a small padlocked box settled into the floor boards. Carefully, she slipped on a pair of gloves and wiggled the box out of its resting place. She pulled the lock pick out of her back pocket and jiggled the padlock open.

Kensi's eyes widened as she shuffled through the papers inside. There were several recent bank statements for someone named Juan Sanchez, and from the account balance, she could see that he was a very wealthy man. She wondered who he was and how he came to possess such a fortune. _Probably by smuggling illegal drugs_, she decided. But then, as she dug deeper into the box, her eyes fell on an old, slightly yellowed photo buried at the very bottom. It was a photo of two very familiar men – and possibly the answer to what she had been looking for all along.

Kensi could not contain her gasp, and she tried to call for Callen, but her voice caught in her throat. She was so lost in shock that she didn't hear the low rumbling behind the wall. It was only a small vibration, but it was enough to start a spark. The room temperature burst into a sticky, stifling heat, and the walls suddenly began to quake violently. A small cloud of smoke sizzled out through a crack, and the first flames of fire hissed and spat in the corner of the room.

"Kensi, get out of there...now!"

She heard Callen yell, but it didn't register in time. Her fingers closed tightly around the photo, and the force of the explosion threw her backwards out into the hallway. Her body slammed into the wall, and she crumpled into a heap on the floor.

"Kensi!" Callen bolted down the hallway in fear, watching his nightmare play out before his eyes. In no time at all, the fire poured out of the office, surrounding Kensi's motionless body and quickly spreading into the other rooms. Coughing violently, with the smoke burning his lungs and the flames lapping at his feet, Callen gathered Kensi in his arms and frantically looked for the door. But in the midst of a raging inferno, he could not tell which way to go.

Completely disoriented, Callen stumbled through the house, supporting Kensi on his shoulder and desperately searching for a way out. He leapt to the side and dropped to the ground as a ceiling beam crashed to the floor next to him, spraying sparks in all directions. He could hear Kensi coughing and struggling to breathe, and he pulled her away from the burning embers as the entire house began caving in.

The fire surged towards the windows, greedily consuming fresh oxygen and rapidly mounting in strength. Callen knew he was fighting a losing battle. Almost unconcerned with his own life, the fear that he could not save her was driving his panic. Wiping the sweat from his forehead and the tears from his eyes, he forced his way through the path of fire until, at last, his fingers closed around a doorknob. He vaguely recognized that it wasn't the same door they had come in, and when he tried to twist the doorknob, it stubbornly refused to open.

With the smoke suffocating his strength, Callen threw himself against the door in a vain attempt to break it down. When it wouldn't budge, he backed up and drew his gun. His eyes could barely focus, and his fingers trembled on the trigger, but he didn't have time to think about what would happen if this didn't work. He blindly fired a cluster of shots somewhere into the vicinity of his target, and the bullets screamed and hissed as they exploded against the flaming door.

Callen threw himself into it again, ignoring the searing pain of fire splashing on his skin, and this time the door splintered in half. With the last ounce of his remaining strength, he dragged Kensi into the fresh air, coughing and gasping for breath. He couldn't run anymore...he collapsed on the sand and shielded her body with his. And behind them, the entire house exploded into flames.

Callen lay on the ground for several minutes, waiting for the dust to settle and the flames to dissipate slightly. He closed his eyes and held Kensi protectively against his chest, breathing hard, afraid to move, as her faint heartbeat was the only reassurance that he had defied his nightmare. When she finally coughed underneath him, he slowly raised his head. "Kenz," he whispered.

"I'm—I'm okay," she answered softly.

Callen gently ran his thumb over her cheek, her beautiful face marred by dirt and explosive residue. "You sure?"

"Yeah," she said more decisively. She struggled to sit up and was suddenly grateful that his arms were supporting her. "Callen..." She opened her fist to show him the very crumpled photo. It was dirty now and slightly scorched around the edges, but even in the explosion, she hadn't let go.

* * *

When Callen and Kensi returned to the boathouse, both of them streaked in dirt and blood and their clothes charred and tattered, Javier's jaw dropped. "What happened?"

"Someone didn't want us to find what was in that cottage," Kensi replied. "Whole place went up in flames."

"Are you okay?" Javier asked, touching her cheek tenderly.

"Oh, yeah, we're fine," Callen muttered indignantly. "Thanks for asking."

"Did you find anything before it blew?" Sam asked. "Drugs?"

"A photo," Kensi said softly, handing it to Sam.

"Miguel de Santiago and Juan Sanchez," Sam read on the back of the photo. "Who's Juan Sanchez?"

"My father."

"Your father?" Javier repeated.

Sam looked up in confusion. "But I thought your father—"

"I—I don't know…whoa." Kensi suddenly stumbled and sat back against the couch.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Javier asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she insisted. "I just…need to sit down."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw Callen cast a worried glance at Kensi. She was slumped over on the couch, her head in her hands, as Javier hovered over her protectively. It did not go unnoticed by the two Los Angeles agents that Javier pressed a tender kiss against her cheek and softly stroked her hair. And when Javier reached for her hand, Sam suddenly noticed the diamond ring.

But before he could say anything about it, Callen cut in. "Sam, take Javier and check out the forensics on that house. I'm gonna see if Eric can get anything off this photo."

"G?"

"Just do it, Sam," Callen said in an unusually soft tone. "Please."

Sam raised his eyebrows. He wasn't sure he liked where this was going. With a heavy sigh, he turned to Javier. "Special Agent Fernandez," he called. "How about you and I take a little ride to check out that house?"

"Are you going to be okay here?" Javier asked Kensi. He turned to Sam and Callen. "Are you sure we should leave her alone?"

"Javier, go," she said softly. "I'm just going to rest."

As the three men headed out the door, Kensi lay back on the couch and closed her eyes. She would never admit it to either Javier or Callen – or Sam, for that matter – but she was actually in a lot of pain. Her body ached from being thrown against the wall, and she was covered in sharp cuts, bruises, and burns. She gingerly touched her forehead and realized that she was still bleeding.

"We better get something on those wounds of yours, dearie."

Kensi opened her eyes. The voice was commanding...and very familiar.

She smiled weakly as Hetty placed her first aid kit on the table next to the couch. The little lady opened the case and pulled out an ice pack and a bottle of little pink pills.

"Ice and aspirin," Hetty advised. "Callen and Sam can attest to it." She pulled out a roll of gauze and dabbed it with some funny colored liquid. Kensi gritted her teeth as Hetty wiped the antiseptic over her forehead.

"He's worried about you," the little lady said quietly. "He has nightmares that wake him up in a cold sweat...and you have them, too."

For some reason, Kensi wasn't at all surprised that Hetty knew about the nightmares. "Hetty, they're awful," she admitted. "I—I don't know how much more I can take."

"Perhaps they're trying to tell you something."

"They are," Kensi said. "I just don't know what."

Hetty took out another piece of gauze and gently cleaned the cuts and scrapes on Kensi's arms. As she made her way down to her dirty, bloody hands, Hetty noticed the diamond ring. It was still in perfect condition even after the explosion, and it almost seemed to shine extra brightly now.

Kensi blushed as she realized what the little lady was looking at. "Hetty, I'm—"

"Engaged to Special Agent Fernandez," Hetty finished. "I know." She nodded thoughtfully as she pulled out her box of bandages. She opened the package and gently applied one to Kensi's forehead. "Just don't forget where your heart really belongs," she whispered.

* * *

That evening, a harsh rainstorm with thunder and lightning blew in off the coast, and Kensi slept restlessly on the couch in the boathouse. She tossed and turned as the man in the photo haunted her dreams.

_"Kensi!" His voice was sharp and angry. "Don't you walk away from me, young lady!"_

_The fiery teenager whirled around furiously. "Oh, sure, Dad, you go out and have fun with your friends, but you won't let me go out with mine!"_

_"Not when your friends include that boy...what's his name? Is he your boyfriend now?"_

_"What do you have against him?" she cried. "We're just going to a movie!"_

_"He's dangerous, Kensi. You stay away from him."_

_"Don't tell me what to do." She stomped up the stairs and slammed the door to her room._

_Her father watched her go and shook his head sadly. "Kensi," he whispered. "Someday you'll understand. It's all for you...I did everything for you...always for you, baby girl."_

Her eyes shot open, and her body jerked awake in fear. Her breath was coming in short bursts, and she could hear the waves crashing on the shore outside the boathouse. She heard her heart pounding, too, but she suddenly realized that it wasn't all due to the nightmare. She felt him before she saw him, moving quietly through the room, the lightning flashing against his blue eyes.

"Come on," he whispered in her ear, his breath on her skin making shivers race up her spine. He took her hand and helped her off the couch.

"Where are we going?" Kensi asked, still somewhat groggy.

"I don't know."

He drove for quite a while, but he didn't speak, and when she stole a glance at him, his eyes were completely focused on the road. She suspected that he was simply driving them in circles, making sure they weren't being followed, although anyone following them in this weather would have had to be completely crazy. The windshield wipers were going at top speed, and the torrents of rain were almost blinding. The water gushed over the road, the wind was shrieking and howling against the car, and thunder and lightning rolled fiercely in the distance.

When he could no longer see to drive, they ended up at a small motel on the outskirts of the city, listed under aliases that Kensi didn't think she would remember in the morning.

He locked the door behind them and shook the rain out of his eyes. They stood in the doorway for a moment, in silence, both completely drenched and neither one entirely sure what to say to the other. And maybe tonight, no words were needed. Hesitantly, he moved closer to her and brushed a loose tendril of soggy hair away from her face. He brought his hand to her cheek, and she sighed softly and leaned into his touch. She looked sad and tired, and a bloody bandage scarred her forehead, but as his eyes met hers, Callen didn't think he had ever seen anything more beautiful.

Wordlessly, she melted into him, and his lips crashed down on hers. He backed her into the bed, and they collapsed onto the mattress, entangled in each other's arms. Her lips were soft and tender, and she was driving his senses wild. He hadn't forgotten how much he craved her touch and the sensation of her body pressed against his. Their earlier kiss in the car had only left him longing for more, and Callen could feel himself about to lose all control.

She tore her lips from his, running her fingers along the scruff of his jaw, down his neck, and to the top button on his shirt. His breath caught as her fingers swiftly unbuttoned his shirt, the anticipation almost excruciating as she made her way to the last button and pushed it off his shoulders. He fell back against the pillows, pulling her with him, a stream of raindrops falling from her hair and running down his bare chest. Her fingers traced the tiny rivulets downwards, slowly sliding below his waist to remove the remaining barriers between them.

As the rest of his clothes fell to the floor, he captured her lips again for a deep, passionate kiss that left them both breathless. He felt her shiver against him, as much from his kiss as from the fact that cold rain was soaking through to her skin and her wet clothes were still clinging to her body. Gently, he rolled her over, drawing her arms above her head and trailing his fingers lightly down her body. She gasped, as she felt her clothes slowly being peeled away and the heat of his kiss against her damp skin. His hands tenderly caressed her curves, and his lips pressed soft kisses into the most intimate places. Every spot he touched burned with aching, insatiable desire for him. And so, lost in the height of passion, Kensi closed her eyes and her entire body shook with pleasure as he pushed himself deep inside of her, sending waves of fire straight to her core.

For one fleeting moment, all was forgotten except the sensation of their lovemaking and the comfort that they found in each other.

* * *

Hours later, Callen awoke to the sound of pounding rain against the window. The storm was still raging outside, and sheets of water were slapping against the glass. He could hear the fierce rumble of thunder, and jagged streaks of lightning lit up the sky.

Sleepily, he ran his fingers through the silky brown locks that lay draped over his pillow. He smiled as he breathed in her intoxicating scent, and he buried his face in her neck and kissed her gently. After the day's events, he never would have thought that he would end up in a motel room with her that night...tangled in sheets slickened with sweat, satisfying each other's most carnal desires.

The last time they had spent a night together, fulfilling each other, she had left on a plane in the morning. One phone call had wrenched his beautiful girl from his arms, driving her across the world to chase down her past. At that point in time, he had been prepared to lose a teammate. He hadn't been prepared to lose his heart.

And so Callen had spent the next night alone, lulled to sleep by the dull ache inside his chest. He could have sworn that his heart was no longer capable of feeling, but if that were true, then he didn't know what had shattered inside of him. For someone who had turned his back on all feeling…she made him feel again.


	5. Part IV

**I'm so sorry this update took even longer! I just could not find any time to write this past week. As always, thanks so much for reading and reviewing and adding to favorites and alerts. I especially appreciate all the feedback on the last chapter, and I hope you like this chapter, too.**

* * *

**-IV-**

The storm was completely gone by the next morning, and the sky dawned clear and bright. But Kensi fought the rays of sunlight that touched her eyelashes. She didn't want to wake up. She was warm and content, wrapped in strong arms that somehow always managed to keep her safe. She smiled as she felt his fingers tracing lazy circles on her bare shoulder, and when she rolled over, she found herself drowning in his beautiful blue eyes.

"No nightmares," she whispered.

She felt his lips touch hers ever so softly. "No nightmares," he whispered back.

"Callen, the nightmares..."

"Are getting worse."

Kensi nodded. "We're getting too close."

She settled back into his arms and pulled the blankets tighter around them, suddenly feeling an icy chill. "Did Eric get anything off the photo?" she asked.

"He's looking," came the soft murmur into her hair. Callen felt her relax slightly as he resumed tracing circles on her silky skin, slowly running his fingers down her arm and coming to rest on her left hand, gently fingering the diamond ring.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I had to..."

She felt his soft kiss against her neck in response, and Kensi swallowed the hard lump in her throat. "Couldn't break cover," she whispered.

They were both silent for a moment, and then Kensi suddenly spoke again, her voice choking on every word. "Callen, I—I don't know how much longer I can do this. It's never been about the drugs…he's been after the money the whole time. He's—he's been after _me_. And Miguel is gone now, so he must be getting desperate. We'll end up leading him right to what he wants, and I—I don't know if I can stop him—"

She would have continued rambling if Callen hadn't spun her around and cut her off with a deep kiss. As his lips caressed hers, the anxiety that was hurtling out of control inside of her came to a grinding halt. Slowly, he pulled back, running his fingers alongside her cheek, and when his eyes met hers, Kensi suddenly felt her fear melting away. His blue eyes were like the calm after the storm, reassuring her without words that they would make it out of this. He would have her back. Because he already had her heart…and he wasn't letting go.

* * *

"Juan Sanchez," Eric proclaimed. "Also known as…U.S. Marine Lieutenant Blye. Also known as…Kensi's father. Birth certificate, but no death certificate, California driver's license, credit cards…every possible electronic record listed under the name of Juan Sanchez. He owns the cottage and has a bank account right here in L.A. And he is _disgustingly rich_." Eric emphasized the last two words in a rather bitter tone.

"So if this is Kensi's father…" Sam began.

"He created a whole new identity for himself," Eric finished. "And his cover goes so deep that no one would ever think to look into it…except for, uh, yours truly, of course. I mean, guys, his alias basically lived on without him...it's completely withstood the test of time."

"She's been chasing the cold case all along," Nate realized.

_Kensi talked to me about her dad today. She said she still had some questions. Some of the guys who were supposed to be with him that night…they're out there somewhere. What happens when she finds them?_

Sam turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying, Doc?"

"She found them," Nate said quietly. He looked at Sam and Eric worriedly, and realization suddenly dawned in all of their eyes.

"Where is she?" Sam asked carefully.

"Right behind you."

The three men jumped at Kensi's voice. As she and Callen entered the ops room, Kensi could almost feel her skin prickling from the uncomfortable tension in the air. She stopped short just beyond the doorway, with Callen at her side and the others standing a few feet away. She met their eyes coolly and swallowed hard, as the entire NCIS team stood frozen, staring at each other in awkward silence.

Just then, Hetty walked through the sliding doors. She came to an immediate halt and curiously studied the face-off that was about to go down. "Don't you people have something else to do besides stand around?" she asked bluntly.

"Not sure what we're doing here anymore," Sam grumbled. His words were directed at the little lady, but his eyes were focused hard on Kensi.

"Catching a bad guy, last time I checked," Hetty informed him matter-of-factly. She motioned to Kensi. "And you're going to need her help to do it."

Sam's suspicious gaze shifted back and forth between Kensi and Callen, and for a moment, Kensi was worried that he might explode in an angry outburst. Sam's wrath was not something she particularly wanted to face right now. But after a long, nerve-wracking silence, Sam finally sighed in surrender and picked up the photo on the table. "You wanna explain this?" he asked.

Kensi cautiously walked over to him and studied the photo for a minute. "Miguel de Santiago knew my father," she said quietly. "They were both Marines...and they were partners in one of the biggest drug smuggling rings in the world."

Eric looked back to the screen in surprise. "So your father's money…"

"…is drug money." Kensi's voice faltered slightly, as she heard the truth ring in her ears. She realized that everyone was listening to her intently, and her eyes dropped to the floor, almost ashamedly. "That night…he told me he was just going for a drink with his buddies. But I guess it was really a drug deal. And by the time the MPs arrested Miguel for the drugs, my father was already dead and the rest of his platoon had shipped out."

"And the money?" Sam asked.

"They never found it," Kensi said. "And with my father dead and Miguel locked away, maybe they decided it never existed, and they just forgot about it."

"Until Miguel was released from prison," Nate said.

Kensi nodded. "When he got out, Miguel started backtracking on some of the old drug routes. We thought he was smuggling drugs again, but he was really looking for the money. Special Agent Fernandez called me to ask if I could help NCIS Spain keep an eye on him."

"Why would he need your help?" Sam asked.

"Because he wanted to set me up," Kensi answered meekly.

"So why would you go?"

"Because _we_ wanted to set _him_ up," Hetty interjected. "By giving him the one thing that he wanted."

Sam whirled around. "So you knew about this?" he demanded.

"I did," Hetty replied calmly. "Mr. Hanna, I admit that I sent Agent Blye on an undercover assignment without notifying you. But I also assure you that it was entirely cleared with the director...and with our special agent in charge."

Upon hearing the last part of that sentence, Sam immediately turned his angry expression on his partner. He was annoyed at how Callen continued to remain silent throughout this discussion and how he was also now carefully avoiding Sam's deadly glare.

"I made the decision to go, Sam," Kensi said bravely. "Javier was determined to bring me back to Spain anyway. He wouldn't accept another agent. And when I got there, I found that we couldn't keep tabs on Miguel. He was constantly escaping our surveillance, avoiding traps, staying one step ahead of us. There's no way he could do that alone…he had to be getting inside information. So I got suspicious…and I got close to Javier. It wasn't hard…that's what he wanted all along."

"Javier was tipping off the drug dealer?" Nate asked. "He's a dirty agent?"

"He's more than that," Kensi replied. She turned to Eric. "Bring up my father's bank account?" she asked.

Eric pushed a series of buttons on his keyboard, and the bank records for Juan Sanchez popped back up on screen. Kensi motioned to him to scroll down further, and Eric quickly scrolled to the bottom of the fine print. In very small letters, near the end of the document, was a short clause containing a very familiar name.

Eric turned to Kensi in shock. "He hid one tiny piece of truth in his alias."

"That's why Javier is completely fixated on you," Nate added. "You're the key to what he wants."

Kensi nodded. "Javier and I…knew each other a long time ago," she said haltingly. "We were at the movies together…the night my father died. Javier has always known about the case. So when he joined NCIS Spain, he must have learned about the money and Miguel's connection to it."

Nate continued to study the fine print carefully. "So Juan Sanchez…Lieutenant Blye…uh, your father…left an entire drug fortune to his only next of kin."

"In other words, his daughter," Callen finished.

Sam shook his head in disbelief. "Javier wants your inheritance."

"That's why he wants to marry me," Kensi said.

Sam chuckled. "You…getting hitched? Should have known something was wrong with that."

Kensi glared at him.

Sam grinned innocently and then turned to Callen with a scowl. "How come you didn't let me in on this?"

"Sorry, big guy." Callen patted him on the shoulder with a smirk. "Didn't think you would be able to seduce him as well as she could."

"So this is why you two have been busting each other's chops?" Sam asked.

Hetty nodded. "For the sake of the operation, we thought it would be best if it didn't look like we got along so well. Javier wanted to marry into the money and disappear without a trace. We had to let him think that his fiancée wasn't cooperating with NCIS very well. Until we got to this point, of course."

Hetty smiled approvingly at Kensi. "Welcome home, Agent Blye." She started heading for the door and called over her shoulder, "Mr. Callen, now that your team is complete again, I suggest you finish what you started. Carry on, people!" With a wave of her hand, the little lady left the ops room.

Sam was still shaking his head. "So how are we gonna bust this guy?" he asked.

"He knows it's her father's money now," Callen said. "He's gonna go after it."

"At the bank?"

"No," Kensi said. "He'll hack into it…move it all electronically. Eric, can you block it?"

Eric looked doubtful. "I don't know, Kensi." He typed a few commands into the computer. "Might take me a while."

"Do it," she ordered. "I'll keep him occupied."

"How?" Nate asked.

Kensi looked thoughtful for a moment, and then she whipped out her phone. With a quick glance at Callen, she dialed a number. "Javier?" she said a moment later. "How about dinner tonight?"

When she hung up the phone, she turned back to the four men watching her with interest. "El Corazón at seven," she said. A streak of hurt and anger flashed across her eyes. "Let's go get him."

"El Corazón, huh?" Eric waggled his eyebrows. "Nice place…it's this really romantic Spanish restaurant with a real waterfall and these little heart-shaped—" He stopped abruptly as he noticed Kensi's expression. "Uh, so I've heard."

Callen turned to Sam. "Looks like we're going to El Corazón tonight."

"You asking me out on a date?" Sam teased.

Callen was already heading out the door. "Yeah, don't be late," he called over his shoulder. "And wear something pretty."

* * *

"So who is he really?" Sam asked. He sat at the bar at the restaurant, keeping one eye trained on the entrance and one ear trained on Callen in the dining room.

"NCIS agent turned criminal Casanova," Callen answered in his ear.

"And he's an old friend of Kensi's?"

Callen didn't respond this time. He was watching closely as the hostess showed Javier and Kensi to a private table in the far corner of the dining room. Javier looked extremely handsome in his perfectly pressed black suit, and Kensi could not have looked more ravishing in a sleek, tight red dress. Javier whispered something in her ear, and she giggled flirtatiously.

"Probably telling her he wants to skip dinner and go right to dessert," Sam muttered.

"Probably," Callen repeated absently. He didn't admit to Sam that he already knew just how sweet that dessert tasted. There was a very strange flutter of his heart at the sight of Kensi, but he immediately shook it off and refocused his attention on the bottle of expensive red wine that was placed in the center of the table.

"Mmmm." Sam also noted the red wine. "Hetty know we're paying for that?"

"No. Can you hear them?"

"No."

"Eric, get me some audio!"

"I'm trying, Callen," came the retort in his ear. "A bottle of wine is not a great place for a bug."

"What happened to Kensi's wire?"

The line crackled in response, and Callen cringed as the audio suddenly came through loud and clear.

"You are so beautiful," Javier whispered, his thumb tracing circles on Kensi's palm.

She wrapped her fingers around his and blushed at his compliment. "Thank you."

Javier leaned over to give her a light kiss on the cheek, his lips slowly moving down to hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. As the kiss deepened, Kensi suddenly pushed him away. "Javier," she hissed, blushing even more furiously.

"Embarrassed by a public display of affection?" he asked teasingly. "It's okay, I'm your fiancé. And we are in one of the most romantic places in Los Angeles…"

"Javier!"

"Okay, okay." He drew back and consoled himself with lightly running his fingers up and down her forearm. "So where were you last night? I waited for you at the hotel..."

"I stayed at the boathouse," Kensi lied. "Agent Hanna didn't tell you?"

"Oh, I guess he did mention that," Javier said, somewhat dejectedly. "I was sort of hoping you would, uh, still come by..."

Kensi smiled. "I'm sorry." She moved closer to him and let her breath tickle his cheek. "Agent Hanna told me the case is waiting on some forensics tests from the house."

"Yes," Javier said. "They found evidence of an incendiary device, and they're looking into what might have set it off. It could have been on a timer, but it'll take a little while to analyze it."

"So..." Kensi drawled out the word. "Then what have you been up to all day?"

Javier grinned. "Maybe planning something special for my beautiful bride-to-be," he answered cheekily.

He couldn't help himself and started trailing another line of kisses down her cheek. His arm moved around to cradle the small of her back, and he gently pulled her out of her chair. "_Baila conmigo_," he whispered in her ear. He led her over to the silvery waterfall and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"This guy is smooth," Sam observed.

"Too smooth," came Nate's voice in his ear. "Sam, he's too smug, too calm, like he knows something we don't."

"You got cameras on him?" Sam asked.

"All angles," Eric replied.

"I got him," Callen muttered.

As she swayed to a romantic Spanish ballad in Javier's arms, out of the corner of her eye, Kensi caught a shadow moving stealthily alongside the dining room. She could feel her body flushing with heat, and she knew it was Callen, watching her back, as he promised.

She forced herself to keep her breathing steady, and she laced her fingers around Javier's neck and laid her head against his shoulder. Javier's arms tightened around her, and Kensi wondered if he could feel her heart pounding. It was only as the music came to an end that she realized he was holding her just a little too tightly – and he refused to let go.

"Javier—"

She froze as she felt the cold, hard barrel of a weapon pressed against her side. She looked up into his eyes and saw dark, greedy black pools staring back at her. Before she could scream, his hands wrapped around her throat to silence her, and as she reached up to fight his stranglehold, he grabbed her wrists and pulled her close for a rough kiss. And then in a low, sinister voice, he whispered, "I'm sorry, my love."

"Guys!" Callen and Sam both heard Eric yell in their ears. "Guys! It's a hypodermic—"

"Sam…" Callen's command was harsh and decisive. "Take him down." He drew his gun and rushed into the dining room. "Take him down!" he yelled.

"NCIS! Federal agents!"

Kensi doubled over backwards, trying to escape Javier's grip. But Javier held her fast, and she didn't have time to react as he stabbed the needle into her neck. She violently flipped herself over, swiping her fist at his face. But the drugs were too fast. They instantly drained the force behind her attack, and her fist bounced off Javier's jaw harmlessly. Kensi's breath caught in her throat, and her vision blurred, and she sank to the floor limply. Her eyes closed, and she did not see the shadow of her handsome savior stepping out of the darkness, his gun pointed straight at Javier's face.

"Special Agent Fernandez," Callen warned. "Let her go."

"Agent Callen," Javier said, smiling wickedly. "How nice of you and Agent Hanna to join us. We should double date more often."

"I don't think you're our type," Sam's voice came from the other side of the room.

Javier had been kneeling over Kensi's body, and he slowly stood up and backed towards the door, dragging her in front of him as a shield. Callen and Sam both had their weapons trained on his head, but he knew they wouldn't fire if there was even a remote chance they would hit his hostage.

"You're right," Javier said agreeably, clearly enjoying the fact that he held the advantage in this situation. "I don't think you two are our type either."

Callen felt the blood pounding hard in his veins as he realized that he didn't have a clear shot. Time seemed to come to a standstill as his finger hovered on the trigger, unable to fire as his target inched closer to an escape.

And Javier knew no such hesitation. The silence was cruelly broken as he yanked his gun from its holster and fired off a rapid round of bullets directly at Sam and Callen. They both leapt out of the way in opposite directions, tumbling to the ground as the shots roared past them and ricocheted off the edge of the waterfall. The water line burst, and the other guests screamed as the bullets ripped through the air and showered the dining room in foamy spray from the waterfall.

In the midst of the chaotic diversion, Javier hoisted Kensi into his arms and disappeared out the door. He rushed through the dark parking lot and quickly flung open the back door to the black van. He dumped Kensi on the floor inside, scrambling in behind her. "Go! Go! Go!" he yelled to the driver.

Sam and Callen recovered quickly and raced after their suspect. Outside the restaurant, they let their bullets fly at the black van speeding out of the parking lot, its tires squealing as it turned the corner. The shots riddled the side of the vehicle, and the back window smashed into tiny fragments of glass, but the van still didn't stop. As it disappeared down the road, Callen growled in frustration and dropped his gun to his side. He and Sam sprinted for their car, and they wheeled out of the parking lot in furious pursuit.

"Eric, you got Kensi on GPS?"

"Signal is loud and clear, Callen."

Javier's van roared through the streets of Los Angeles, weaving in and out of traffic with a black Challenger almost on its bumper. Brakes screeched and horns blared, and suddenly the van veered sharply off the main road. Sam slammed on the brakes as his car skidded past the turn, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. He spun the steering wheel hard, whipped the car around, and pressed the gas pedal to the floor. "I don't know where he's going, but hang on, G, we're going, too!"

Callen felt his stomach churn as the car lurched into gear and accelerated wildly down the road again. Sam's jaw was set in a hard line, his hands gripping the steering wheel and his eyes focused intensely in front of him. But if he had taken his eyes off the road for just a moment, Sam might have seen the almost imperceptible fear that crossed his partner's features.

Callen knew he had kissed away her fears earlier that morning. He knew he had promised to keep her safe. But right now he could not shake his own fear that he was about to watch another nightmare unfold. And this time…he didn't know how it would end.


	6. Part V

**I am so sorry this took so long! I have had absolutely no time to write for the last couple of weeks, and I felt that this chapter needed a lot of revising, so it took much longer than expected. We are actually coming to the end here, and there should only be one more short chapter after this. Thanks so much for sticking with this story, as I really wasn't sure how it would turn out. Thank you again for reading, and please do leave a review!**

* * *

**-V-**

Kensi slowly came to her senses and found herself lying on a cold slab of concrete. Her hands were bound behind her back, and she felt painfully weak and dizzy. Floating in and out of consciousness, she blinked several times and realized that whatever she had been injected with was severely distorting her vision. She could only tell that she was in a dimly lit room, with dark, empty walls, and she could just make out Javier's fuzzy form standing over her.

"What did you do to me?" she whispered, her words soft and slurred.

"I'm so sorry, _mi amor_," he replied. "I had to take precautions that you wouldn't run. Or hurt me," he added thoughtfully. "Don't worry, it's just a harmless little cocktail...it'll wear off soon enough."

Kensi tried to pull against her restraints, but with the drugs seeping through her veins, she was far from full strength. She fought the ropes with little success, and finally, she lay her head back down against the floor in defeat.

Out of the corner of her eye, in her blurry field of vision, she saw Javier stand up and walk over to a small table. She heard a soft whirring, and she strained to see where it was coming from. Her eyes slowly focused on the workstation sitting on the table, humming away. The computer screen flickered, and Kensi squinted at the bright red status bar in the middle of the display.

"You're transferring the money," she said hoarsely.

Javier chuckled. "I am," he said smugly. "I spent so much time searching for your father's fortune…and all along it was hidden under an alias." He pounded his fist into the table. "How could I have been so stupid?"

He sat down in the chair and tapped his fingers impatiently. "I have to give him credit, though. Lieutenant Blye let the world believe that his fortune had disappeared while Juan Sanchez lived on in peace." He glanced at the transfer status on screen. "And it's taking forever to move it. Your father was one rich man, Kensi."

Javier walked back over to her and knelt by her side, tenderly trailing a finger along her cheek. "Kensi, you do realize that this money is all for us, right? I want to be with you," he whispered. "I love you, and I did it all for you, baby girl."

As Kensi heard her father's words echo in Javier's voice, she squeezed her eyes shut to block the memory and the pain. She tried to turn her head away from his touch, and her fingers clenched into weak fists. She was just barely starting to feel her limbs again. "You...knew," she whispered.

"Actually I didn't," Javier corrected. "When we both lived on that base in the middle of nowhere in the beautiful Spanish countryside, I had no idea that your father was rich beyond my wildest dreams. But then I started working at NCIS Spain and got assigned to investigate some of the cold cases..."

"Miguel told you."

"He promised me a cut," Javier explained, "if I could keep NCIS Spain off his back for a little while. Miguel always suspected that your father left his fortune to you. He just didn't know where it was. I held up my end of the deal and brought you back to Spain…buying Miguel some time to retrace his steps and track your father back to that old cottage in Los Angeles."

"So you rigged it to explode," Kensi concluded.

"No," Javier answered sharply. "Miguel did. He had a, shall we say, change of heart. Said he didn't want anyone tracking down Lieutenant Blye's fortune anymore...that we had to let the man rest in peace." Javier huffed angrily. "Well, that meant he was about to swindle me out of millions of dollars. I couldn't let him do that. So I hired a few guys to take him out."

"You killed your own partner," Kensi said softly.

Javier slowly bent down next to her again. "Why not?" he whispered venomously, his lips just grazing her ear. "After all, _he killed his_."

* * *

"What is he doing out here?" Sam whispered. He had just coasted the Challenger up to an old abandoned warehouse in an empty part of the city. The building was almost in ruins, with broken shingles, peeling paint, and windows covered in thick layers of dust and grime. A lone streetlight lit up the walk outside the front of the building, and Sam could just make out the black van parked on the corner.

"Bad guys always hide out in abandoned warehouses," Callen pointed out. "Eric, you got anything?"

"Not anymore," came the reply. "He must have taken her earpiece out. Just lost her signal."

Callen studied the building. "She's in there," he said confidently.

"We got a plan?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm going in."

"That's your plan? If you go in, I go in."

"Sam!" Callen hissed. "I don't know what's gonna go down in there. I need backup out here."

"You always gonna leave me out of all the fun now?" Sam grumbled.

Callen suddenly cocked his head and held up his hand for silence. He heard the creaky opening of a door and the quiet rustle of footsteps. Several burly, angry-looking figures dressed in black stepped out the front door of the building.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Company."

"Cover me," Callen ordered.

"What?"

But Callen had already disappeared into the darkness.

As the henchmen advanced towards him, Sam rolled up his sleeves. "Guess that means I'll be the one entertaining the company," he muttered.

* * *

Kensi felt like someone had just punched her in the stomach. She couldn't breathe, and she gasped and let out a soft, choking sob. If she had only had the strength to scream, it would have been a heartbreaking cry of grief and fury. Miguel had murdered his partner..._her father_.

"Did that just register?" Javier asked cruelly. "Yeah, I guess Miguel was pretty angry that your father wanted out of the drug business. That night was supposed to be the last one, wasn't it? One last drug deal, and then he would stop. Except Miguel got to him first."

Javier paused and glanced down at Kensi, but she refused to meet his eyes, her blank gaze remaining fixated on the wall. She was fighting a painful tightness in her chest, trying to absorb the harsh truth of his words. She wanted to deny it. She wanted to believe that Javier was only playing her. But deep down inside, Kensi knew she had found her answer.

"You don't believe me?" Javier asked, almost as if he were reading her mind. "I wouldn't lie to you, Kensi. Miguel knew exactly how to wire that house...you think wiring a human is any different? He lured your father right into his death trap and left the remains of his body on the side of the highway. All because he wanted out...and you know why?" Javier paused for dramatic effect. "_Because he wanted to protect his daughter_."

Sensation was slowly returning to Kensi's face, and she could feel the sting of tears behind her eyes. She swallowed hard and tried to blink back the tears, but she felt one slide down her cheek anyway.

"Don't cry," Javier pleaded, brushing the lone tear from her face.

Kensi recoiled again from his touch. "Take it then," she said bitterly. "Take all of his money."

"I don't just want the money," he insisted. "Kensi, I want you."

"You're going to marry me," she reminded him softly.

"Yeah, well, I thought that was a pretty good plan at first," Javier replied. His tone suddenly became sharp and angry again. "Except for the fact that you're not in love with me." He bent down and whispered in her ear, "Did you know that you scream his name in your sleep?"

"So…" he continued, standing up and beginning to pace impatiently, the anger building in his voice. "Did you scream his name in the height of passion, or did you scream because you were watching him die? I hope it's the latter because that's what you're going to do right now."

Javier suddenly froze, as if he were listening intently to something. "Agent Callen," he said loudly, not even turning around. "I hear my girl dreams about you."

"Agent Fernandez," Callen shot back in a mocking tone. "What can I say? I'm a dreamy kind of guy."

Javier laughed low in his throat. "I heard about you, Agent Callen…they said you're some unwanted orphan child who can turn himself into anyone, at any time. Guess Kensi took pity on a poor kid off the streets who has nothing to his name." His voice lowered harshly. "Oh, wait a minute, _you don't even have a name_."

"Keep him talking, G," Sam muttered in his ear. "On my way. Just gotta take care of a few things out here."

Callen could hear a rough series of punches, blocks, and kicks being exchanged between Sam and some of Javier's henchmen. He heard Sam growl and the hard thwack of a couple unfortunate skulls hitting the ground outside. "Stay down! Don't move!"

"So, Agent Callen," Javier called. He slowly turned around in a circle, his eyes darting back and forth, watching for any sign of movement in the shadows. He drew his gun and cocked the trigger. "Tell me how you want this nightmare to end."

Callen crouched low behind a stack of old wooden boxes, cringing as Javier's bullets ricocheted blindly off the wall. He heard a couple of glass windows shatter on impact, and another one of the bullets lodged itself into the wall only a few feet from his cover. As the echo from the last shot finally faded away, Javier lowered his gun, and all became silent.

Until Callen raised his weapon and fired back.

Javier dropped to the floor as Callen's bullets sailed dangerously close to his head. His eyes narrowed and whipped in the direction of the boxes, and he fired several shots into the largest one at the bottom of the stack. The tower of boxes tumbled to the floor, exploding with a bang, and Javier took off after the shadow that fled from behind them.

Callen dove through a doorway, disappearing from sight as another bullet screamed past his head. Javier was closing fast in pursuit, but he quickly came to a halt at the threshold. Cautiously, he stepped through the doorway, his gun drawn and his senses on high alert. He pointed his weapon down the hall, then whirled around and aimed it in the other direction. Nothing.

A split second later, Callen tackled him to the ground. Javier found his arms wrenched harshly behind his back, but somehow he managed to twist out of Callen's grasp, reversing their positions and hauling the other man to his feet. Callen felt Javier's arms wrap around his throat, and he quickly backed up into the wall, smashing his opponent against it. He dug his elbow sharply into Javier's chest, spinning around and landing a swift punch to his stomach, sending Javier sprawling backwards onto the floor.

As Javier lay stunned for a moment, Callen raced back into the other room. "Sam?"

"Little busy right now, G!" he yelled. "These…guys…just…won't…quit!"

Sam's every word was punctuated by a corresponding violent blow, as he continued to dispatch the assailants outside. Even though he was outnumbered, Sam was holding his own against them, but they refused to let him make his way into the building. As Sam was pushed backwards yet again, he wondered if perhaps the plan all along was to detain Callen's backup. Or in other words, to set his partner up for a showdown inside…alone.

* * *

As soon as Callen had drawn Javier away from her, Kensi had continued to struggle against her restraints. She managed to roll some distance across the floor towards the table, but she was still weak and heavily drugged, so even just the smallest physical effort seemed to drain her. Somewhere in the middle of the floor, she finally surrendered to exhaustion, curling into a ball and wondering what had happened to him.

_Callen_.

"I'm here, Kenz."

His voice surprised her. She hadn't thought she had spoken out loud. Maybe she hadn't.

Somehow he had doubled back and reappeared beside her. He unknotted the ropes that bound her hands and gently rubbed circulation back into her wrists. Kensi blinked groggily and wiggled her fingers, testing her coordination. Quickly, Callen grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet, supporting her as she leaned against him unsteadily. She laid one hand against his chest and suddenly touched the other hand to her temple in an attempt to stop the room from spinning.

"You okay?" he asked, his eyes searching hers with concern.

"Yeah," she said, although she knew she didn't sound especially convincing. The pounding in her head slowly became clearer, as she recognized the buzzing noise on the table. "Callen, the money," she said breathlessly. "You have to stop the computer."

Callen glanced at the machine and then back into Kensi's eyes. Her eyes were still glassy from the drugs, but he could see the panic within them. He started to move forward but quickly stopped in his tracks, catching her as she collapsed in his arms.

"I'm—I'm fine. Go."

Callen eased her back down to the floor, leaning her against the wall, and then he scrambled to his feet and rushed over the table.

"Eric!" he yelled. "Eric, I thought you were doing something about this!"

"Still working on it," the computer tech shot back in frustration. "I've been trying to gain access through every technological back door I can think of. He installed some sort of indestructible firewall..." Eric's voice trailed off as he typed furiously. Lines of encrypted security code scrolled rapidly down his screen, but he could not intercept the transfer. "I can't get control of the account...Callen, there's no way to stop it!"

Callen watched the red line expand on the screen as the transfer almost reached completion. Without another word, he backed up, raised his gun, and fired it into the computer. The bullet sliced through the screen and ripped through the wires. The machine buzzed and beeped and sputtered to a halt, smoke sizzling out the back.

Callen hit the floor as the computer exploded. Electric sparks and hot black smoke crackled and spit from the center of the device. As the computer went up in flames, the table crumbled beneath it, and the machine shattered into hundreds of tiny metal fragments.

Out of nowhere, Javier launched himself into Callen in a blind rage, smashing him into the ground and knocking his weapon from his hands. Javier leapt to his feet and delivered a forceful kick to the side of Callen's head, raising his gun to finish him off.

But Callen quickly swept his leg backwards, tripping Javier and altering the shot. As Javier's knees buckled and he landed heavily on his side, Callen scrambled to keep him pinned to the ground, grabbing his wrists and slamming his hands against the concrete. Javier yelped in pain, and his hands dropped his weapon, sending it flying in the opposite direction.

As the two men wrestled each other, Javier pulled a knife from his boot and swiped it across Callen's cheek, drawing a nasty line of blood. He raised it high above his head and brought it sharply down towards Callen's heart. Callen rolled out of the way just in time, and the knife sliced through his shoulder instead. His roar of pain rang in Kensi's ears, and her stomach clenched at the sound of his agony.

Staggering from the pain, Callen yanked the knife from his shoulder, and ignoring the rushing flow of blood, he lunged for his gun. Just as his fingers were about to close around the barrel, Javier kicked the weapon from his hand and sent it spiraling across the room.

"I don't think so, Agent Callen." Javier's grip tightened around Callen's throat, dragging him backwards. The line of blood trailing from his shoulder left an ugly streak along the ground, and Callen struggled hard against Javier's chokehold on him. But he could not break free. Callen's strength was beginning to fail him, his lungs were fighting for air, and his eyes were almost completely closed from the pain.

Across the room, Kensi felt the cold, hard metal object spin into her side. Her fingers clumsily wrapped around the weapon, and she braced herself against the wall for support as she dragged herself into a standing position. She shook her head to clear the double vision, the two fuzzy figures blurring together in front of her.

Javier had pinned Callen to the ground, one hand pressing against his throat and Callen's remaining strength fading fast as the blood gushed from his shoulder. His head snapped to the side as Javier's fist connected with his jaw, and he made no move to retaliate as his eyes closed in pain. Javier quickly picked up his gun, once again aiming a weapon directly at Callen's heart. And this time, he did not intend to miss.

"You would do anything for her, Agent Callen," Javier whispered, his voice seething with anger. "I can see it in your eyes. So go ahead…die for her."

At that moment, Kensi saw her target clearly. She raised Callen's gun, her fingers closing firmly around the trigger. And with her heart in her throat, Kensi fired a rapid round of five bullets squarely into Javier's chest. The shots came in quick, unhesitating succession, every recoil filled with anger…and every round filled with vengeance.

Javier fell backwards, coughing, sputtering, and convulsing violently as the blood pumped out of his wounds. He collapsed on the floor, his agonized shriek of pain resounding throughout the warehouse, and Kensi suddenly saw her nightmare flash before her eyes...

_The man was clearly scarred with five ugly gunshot wounds. And he lay on the ground, broken and bleeding, his eyes sunken in pain…and his cry of death echoing against the walls._

_It was never Callen_, Kensi realized. _Callen..._

Suddenly, the dizziness overwhelmed her. Kensi fell to her knees and crawled to his side. With trembling fingers, she ripped his shirt down the front and crumpled the extra material into his shoulder, soaking up the river of blood. His eyes were closed, his teeth gritted in pain, his breath coming in short, ragged bursts.

"G!"

Sam's voice cut through the room. He rushed over and pressed his fingers into Callen's shoulder. "I got him, Kensi."

Kensi stumbled backwards, suddenly grateful that Sam was there. Her heart felt like it was tied in knots, and her head was still spinning from the drugs. Or possibly from the brutal killshots she had just fired.

She heard Javier moan from a few feet away, and shakily, she moved towards the fallen man. She knelt next to him, watching as the convulsions slowed and his blood spilled onto the floor.

"He wanted you to have the money, Kensi," Javier whispered, gasping for breath as his face turned a pale shade of white. "He—he said it was all for his baby girl."

Kensi looked down at him with a blank expression on her face, watching as his eyes closed and his body became still. And as she rose to her feet again, standing silently over Javier's lifeless body, Kensi removed the diamond ring and let it fall into the pool of blood.

* * *

4:18 AM. Callen blinked as the bright red numbers on the alarm clock stared back at him. They cast a gentle shadow against the lavender comforter in the dark, and he could hear the seconds slowly ticking by in the quiet of the night. Even the city outside seemed quieter than usual, as a rare full moon shone brightly over Los Angeles, mixing celestial light with the city streetlights in a calm, peaceful glow.

But Callen could not sleep. He had actually been awake for some time now, as his shoulder was aching fiercely…but he wouldn't have moved for anything. As he looked down at his beautiful girl nestled against him, suddenly the pain subsided. He closed his eyes again and tried to ignore his swollen shoulder. He might have been bruised and beaten, but he was alive.

_And so was she_.

A faint moonbeam shone in the window and illuminated her sleeping face, and Callen ran his fingers through her hair, as if to reassure himself that she was really there. Suddenly, the only thing that he wanted to do was hold her in his arms forever. He wanted to lose himself to her every night…and wake up by her side every morning. Something inside of him didn't want to be alone anymore.

He felt her shift slightly next to him, and it was only when he heard her soft cry that he realized she was awake. Despite the searing pain that shot through his shoulder, he pulled her back against his chest and tightened his arms around her. She buried her face in the pillows, and he could tell she was trying to stifle the tears. She didn't even respond as he ran his fingers over hers, lingering on her left ring finger that no longer sparkled with a diamond.

"I'm sorry," he finally whispered.

She took a deep breath, forcing back the flow of tears. And then in a quiet voice slightly muffled by the pillow, she said, "I guess sometimes…you never really know your family the way you thought you did."

"My father left me his entire fortune," she continued softly. "And that's why Miguel killed him. It was all about the money. For Miguel, for Javier…for my father." Kensi clenched her fists around the pillow angrily. She choked back another sob and wiped away the one lone tear that fell on her cheek. "I spent my entire life wanting to know what happened to my father…and now that I do..."

She trailed off, and then in a soft, broken voice, she asked, "Is it easier...not knowing?"

"Sometimes," he whispered.

"If you don't know who they are, they never disappoint you."

"No, they don't."

Kensi was quiet for a moment, completely content to lay in the comfort of Callen's arms. Suddenly, she rolled over and kissed him hard. "I need you," she whispered. "Tonight...and forever."

Her kiss was hot and passionate, and Callen could taste the salty tears on her lips. She immediately deepened the kiss and closed her eyes, savoring him and drawing comfort from him. Slowly, she trailed a line of kisses along his roughly shaven jaw, down his neck, and across his collarbone to his shoulder. As her lips pressed gently against the thick bandages, the violent throbbing in his shoulder almost seemed to disappear. Somehow she was the key to healing his pain.

When she lifted her eyes to meet his, both Callen and Kensi remained completely still, simply lost in each other's gaze. The first light of dawn was just creeping through the window, heightening the intensity of his beautiful blue eyes and reflecting against hers with an intensity to match. Without any words, he knew she was asking him to heal another kind of pain...she wanted him to fill the empty hole in her heart.

As her lips descended on his again, she heard him growl almost possessively deep in his throat. "Kensi," he murmured, his voice low and thick with desire. "I want to make you mine."

"Callen…" His name rolled off her tongue in a soft, sultry whisper, igniting another wave of fiery heat between them. "I've always been yours."


	7. Epilogue

**And so we have come to the final chapter. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and for your alerts and favorites and comments. As I said before, I had a really tough time hammering this story out, so I really appreciate hearing from everybody, and I'm so glad that you liked the story. I hope you find that this ending ties it all together. Thanks again!**

* * *

**-Epilogue-**

The only sound that could be heard in Nate's office was the quiet clicking of the keyboard. The operational psychologist was just finishing up his latest report, and as he triumphantly typed the last word, Nate leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms above his head. He glanced at the clock and almost did a double take. It was late, and he should have headed home long ago.

Closing down his computer, Nate stood up from his chair and reached for his coat. He pulled out the key to his file cabinet, and just as he turned the key in the lock, he spotted a stray file still lying on his desk. He smiled...there was one more thing he had to do before he left for the night.

He picked up the manila folder and walked down to Hetty's office. His footsteps echoed in the empty bullpen, and his tall frame cast a soft shadow against the wall. In the dim light, Nate could just barely make out the little lady putting some things away in her bag.

"Hi," he said.

"Nate!" Hetty exclaimed. "What are you doing here so late?"

"Just catching up on some paperwork," he replied. He held up the folder. "Would you mind if I, uh, accessed your personnel files again?"

Hetty smiled. She knew exactly what Nate was going to do, and she made a welcoming motion towards her computer.

"Thanks." Nate pulled up a chair and squashed himself into the tiny space next to Hetty's computer.

"How's Kensi?" Hetty asked gently.

"She's okay," Nate replied. "Still working through some things. It's just gonna take some time."

Nate paused, unsure exactly how to describe what had continued to haunt Kensi for several weeks now. "Must have been hard for her," he finally said. "Finding her father's murderer after all these years, only to have Javier murder him. Recovering a multimillion dollar fortune, only to turn it all back over to NCIS. Putting a bullet – or five – through Javier to save Callen. All that sadness and anger…everything just hit her all at once. The whole case was, uh, intensely personal for her…I'm a little surprised that you let her work this one?"

Hetty didn't respond for a moment. She was suddenly very interested in the login screen on the computer, and Nate watched as she slowly typed in her password, her fingers pausing after each letter, as if she wanted to prolong the process. The computer finally beeped as the NCIS personnel files popped up on screen, and when she turned back to him, her voice was very soft.

"Sometimes," Hetty began, "we do whatever is necessary to close the painful chapters of our lives, no matter how painful the closure itself may be. And sometimes, whether it's right or wrong, we choose to do these things on our own. Lieutenant Blye took it upon himself to hide his fortune and protect his daughter – and he gave his life for it. Kensi wasn't going to walk away from that, even if it meant leaving this team behind. Yes, perhaps both of them deceived us along the way. _But _s_ometimes deception you perpetrate is a necessity_. I'm sure Lieutenant Blye would agree."

"You still think he would be proud of his daughter?"

Hetty nodded. "Very much so."

"And Callen?" Nate suddenly asked. "He knew she was undercover all along. Why? What role did he play in all of this?"

"He held onto her heart," Hetty explained patiently. "So that Javier could not break it."

"Callen and Kensi," she continued, "fight so many of the same battles. Neither of them has ever known a family as you and I have, Nate. They spend every day masquerading as other people…and at the end of the day, they forget the fact that their own hearts are lonely. Perhaps this case simply exposed that loneliness and gave them both a chance at something that was always meant to be."

Nate chuckled. "Sort of hard to believe, isn't it?" he asked.

Hetty looked at him questioningly.

Nate cleared his throat nervously. "I mean, uh, there was never a traditional diamond or ... anything."

"They're undercover agents, Nate," Hetty said bluntly. "They don't do diamonds."

"Right." Nate smiled sheepishly in understanding. "Do you think it was nice?" he asked.

Hetty looked thoughtful for a moment, and then her eyes crinkled happily behind her round, black glasses. "It was just right," she said. "For the two of them."

Nate raised an eyebrow and gave Hetty a suspicious glance.

Hetty smiled secretively, as she pulled her bag off the hook. She stepped down off the stool and headed for the door. "Good night, Nate."

Nate sighed, as he knew the little lady wouldn't say anything more. "Night, Hetty." He folded his legs into the tiny space again and turned back to the computer.

_Callen, G_, he typed. As Callen's file appeared on the screen, Nate frowned.

_It worries you how little there is in his file._

_Every time I come back to it, I hope someone has filled in the blanks. But it's still just a single page. No family history. No next of kin._

Nate's frown slowly turned into a smile. He didn't have to scroll down very far to reach the field he was looking for. And in the blank space, he typed:

_Kensi Blye Callen_.


End file.
